A brutal act and a missing memory | Forensic Files

[Music] Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at
any time you need support, please contact your local crisis center. For suggested phone numbers for confidential
support and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on
our website. At around 1000 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 1997, Gregory Coons was watching the late night news
at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. After 10 or so minutes, he turned the television off and headed to
bed where his girlfriend Stephanie lay awake looking obviously concerned. Moments earlier, she had heard what
sounded like a woman outside screaming, "Please no!" or "Please don't." The screams had since subsided,
giving way to the faint sounds of someone moaning or crying. Years of working in construction
had damaged Gregory's hearing. And while he hadn't heard anything unusual himself, he still felt compelled to
check if everything was all right. After stepping out onto his back patio and listening closely, he soon heard the
strange noise Stephanie had described. It was coming from the other side of the tall gray cinder block fence
that separated his yard from that of his next door neighbors, the Fela family. [Music]
At first, Gregory Coons thought the noises might be a couple having sex, but with the 6-ft high fence blocking his
view, he couldn't be floor. He went into his garage, quietly opened an exterior door closer to the
fence, and listened again, only to realize the moaning had stopped. Then he heard the sound of
footsteps crunching along the gravel path that lined the fa's side of the fence. Driven by curiosity, Gregory
silently crept to a flower planter at the rear of his backyard. He stepped onto the railroad ties that
held the planter together, giving him just enough height to peer discreetly over the
fence. The file property featured a two-story stucco home in a warm cream color that occupied most of the lot.
Their backyard, like Gregory's, was compact and fully enclosed. It had a cozy patio, a
towering pine tree, and a small curved swimming pool. Though the FA's yard was unlit, Gregory
could make out a figure writhing on the ground near the pool. It was a fully clothed
woman. She lay with her head facing the house and her feet pointing towards the pool pump
equipment. She sluggishly shifted onto her left side, draped her right arm over her head, moved her legs slightly, then
rolled onto her back again. Her slow, uncoordinated movements led Gregory to suspect she was heavily
intoxicated. Glancing toward the FA's house, Gregory noticed multiple lights on inside, including one in the
downstairs kitchen and another in the garage. Suddenly, a light flicked on in an upstairs
bedroom. The windows blinds were open, giving Gregory a clear view inside. A man wearing a white t-shirt
and red flannel sweatpants walked past the window and into an adjoining bathroom where he turned on another
light. Even though the bathroom window was frosted, Gregory could see the man's silhouette as he moved
about. It was 43-year-old Scott Fada, the family's husband and father. Scott moved in and out of sight before
switching off both the bathroom and bedroom lights, then disappeared entirely. Moments later, Gregory spotted
him again. Now he was downstairs near a sliding glass door that opened out to the
patio. Through the surrounding windows, Gregory watched Scott move from the kitchen to the living room, appearing to
ring his hands as if he had just washed them. He then started towards the staircase
leading back upstairs, but abruptly changed direction to enter another room instead. He reappeared at the patio door
again a short while [Music] later. Scott slid open the door and stepped outside. One of the family's two pet
dogs approached him and he motioned to them to lie down. They obeyed as he moved towards the
woman lying near the pool. By now, Gregory had deduced that the woman was Scott's wife, 41-year-old
Yamala Fa. The situation was undeniably strange, but he hesitated to jump to conclusions. The Faters had always been
good, peaceful neighbors, well-liked within their community, and known for their pious and pleasant nature.
Nothing about them had ever suggested trouble. Yet, something about Scott's demeanor was deeply
unsettling. He stopped just a few feet from Yamala and stood completely still while staring down at her in
silence. It was as if he was lost in thought, contemplating his next move. Time stretched uncomfortably by.
Then, without a word, Scott turned and walked back toward the house. Suddenly, a noise rang out near
Gregory. He hadn't made it, but Scott heard it. His head snapped in Gregory's direction, scanning the
darkness. Gregory froze, holding his breath, afraid he'd been caught spying. A tense moment passed before Scott
finally turned away and disappeared through the sliding door, seemingly unaware of Gregory's
presence. The next time Gregory saw Scott, he was emerging from the garage. He wore a glove on one hand and was
slipping the matching on as he walked along their shared fence. Upon reaching Yamala once more, he
stepped over her, grabbed her by the wrists, and pulled her arms over her head. He then began dragging her
backward toward the pool. At the water's edge, Scott laid Yamala's arms down, walked around her,
lifted her legs, and dropped them into the shallow end of the pool. Gregory struggled to make sense of
what he was witnessing. Scott knelt beside Yamala, pushed her entire body into the water, and leaned
over her. At first, it seemed as though Scott was splashing Yamala's face to wake her
from a drunken stuper. But as Gregory watched on, the truth became far more sinister. Scott wasn't trying to help
Yamala. He was forcibly holding her head under water. Gregory jumped down from his vantage
point and ran inside his house. "Oh my god," he put her head under water. He blurted to his
girlfriend Stephanie before calling 911. "When the dispatcher asked about the unfolding emergency, Gregory
struggled to process what he had just seen." "I don't know," he said breathlessly. "My neighbors, there was a
bunch of yelling and screaming going on." I looked over the fence and the husband had just threw I believe the
wife into the pool and it looks like he's holding her underwater. After the call, Gregory
rushed back outside to check on the faders. Yamala was now floating face down in the pool. Scott was nowhere to
be seen. Gregory called 911 again, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Within minutes, officers arrived at his
house, swiftly scaled the block fence, and dropped into the Fad's backyard. Tensions ran high. They had no
idea where Scott Fa was or what level of danger he posed. Was he inside the house, armed
and waiting? In the pool lay a gruesome sight. The faint glow of a motion sensor
light dimly illuminated Yamala Fa's motionless body. The water around her tinged with a faint pink
hue. The moment an officer pulled her out to begin resuscitation efforts, the water darkened, swirling into a deep
red. It was then that the full horror of the scene became clear. Yamala's body was riddled with the
dozens of open wounds. Her blood transforming the pool into what officers would later compare to the aftermath of
a shark attack. An autopsy later confirmed that Yamala had been stabbed 44 times with a
hunting knife. She suffered multiple wounds to her face, neck, breasts, torso, and back, most of which were
deemed defensive. The blade had pierced her lungs, heart, spleen, spinal cord, and
jugular vein. The deepest wounds spanned the full 5 1/2 in length of the blade. Several of her ribs and vertebrae
were also fractured. Her hands and fingers bore 12 deep cuts. evidence of a desperate
struggle. She had tried to grab the knife during the attack, nearly severing her ring finger in the
process. The exact sequence of the injuries remained unclear, as did the total number of times the knife had been
thrust at Yamala. The medical examiner determined she had died from massive blood loss and
estimated she could have survived upwards of 30 minutes after the attack commenced.
A key point of contention among experts was whether Yamala was already deceased when she was pushed into the
pool. Whatever the case, her official cause of death was listed as multiple stab wounds with the
drowning. As the first responders processed the grim scene, one of them noticed movement inside the Feder's
house. Scott Feder's silhouette appeared at an upstairs window before vanishing again. Guns drawn, officers advanced
toward the patio where they found the sliding glass door partially open. They entered
cautiously. The house was silent, save for the low hum of an unwatched television in the living
room. Suddenly, Scott appeared at the top of the staircase inside. It didn't look like he had been involved
in a violent altercation recently. His white t-shirt and red flannel sweatpants were spotless and an
expression of pure confusion was painted across his face. What's going on? What are you
doing in my house? Why are you here? He shouted down at the police. The officers kept their guns trained on
Scott, barking at him to shut up, show his hands, and to get on the ground. He hesitated for a moment before
complying and was swiftly handcuffed as he lay prone on the floor. His demeanor was dazed yet eerily
calm, as if he was completely detached from the chaos around him. To some, he looked as though he had
just woken up. He kept asking what's going on over and over and repeatedly inquired as to his
wife's whereabouts. No one told him that Yamala laid dead in the backyard. But with the
flurry of police activity, Scott began to piece together that something terrible had
happened. He urged the officers to search for whoever was responsible, expressing concern that the perpetrator
might still be inside the house. But the police weren't buying Scott's innocent act. Little did he know, his neighbor,
Gregory Coons, had witnessed him drowning Yamala in the pool moments before they
arrived. "How many people are in the house?" an officer demanded. "Scott's answer caught them off
guard." "Four," he revealed. "Himself, his wife, and their two children. Concern surged for the welfare
of the Federa's 15-year-old daughter, Megan, and 12-year-old son, Michael. Officers swept through the home
and to their relief, found the siblings in their respective bedrooms, unharmed and fast
asleep. Megan and Michael had no idea of the horror that had unfolded at their home that night.
Upon waking the pair, officers initially told them that their parents had gotten
into a fight and something bad had happened. The siblings immediately found this strange. They had never seen their
parents argue, let alone fight. As they were escorted from the house, they were given the devastating
news that their mother was dead. In an interview years later with ABC's 2020, Michael Fa recalled that moment
tearfully. I went to bed as a 12-year-old kid with a happy life, and I woke up to a police officer telling me
that my mother died, and it's everything you think it would be and more. Scott Fa was taken into custody as
investigators began searching the crime scene. Aside from some blood stains splattered
throughout the house and garage, everything appeared relatively normal with no signs of a
struggle. In the backyard, a large flashlight illuminated the pool pump equipment and the surrounding ground was
stained with blood. The police collected the flashlight as well as a few bloody gravel stones and eyeglasses with blood
stains. However, the most significant discovery lay in the garage. Through the window of Scott's
white Volvo hatchback, investigators spotted a bloody white t-shirt in the rear cargo
area. A search of the vehicle uncovered blue jeans, a denim jacket with a small Swiss Army knife in the pocket, and
white socks. Hidden inside the spare tire compartment was a black trash bag and a large clear
plastic container. The trash bag contained a pair of black leather gloves and brown
leather hiking boots. The plastic container, typically used to store food, held the murder
weapon. All the items were stained with varying amounts of Yamala's blood. Shortly before 2:00 a.m., Scott Fa was
led into an interrogation room at the Phoenix Police Department to be formally interviewed by a veteran homicide
detective, John Norman. He sat barefoot and hunched in a chair pressed into the corner, still
wearing his pajamas and handcuffs. Though no one had explicitly told him Yamala's fate, he stated that he assumed
she was dead after noticing the homicide division signage around. Detective Norman confirmed,
"Yes, she is." "Obviously, you think I did it," Scott replied flatly. After a pause, he added, "I
don't know what makes you think that." Detective Norman informed Scott that there was a witness who had seen what
happened. Gez, Scott said coolly. As the details of Gregory Coon's account were laid out before him, Scott
maintained his demeanor of disbelief. He asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice. Neighbors saw me pushing her into
the pool. Detective Norman said, "Well, actually, there was a lot more described than
that." Scott retorted, "You've got to be kidding." Detective Norman replied firmly. "Absolutely
not." To police, there was no doubt that Scott had killed his wife. Yet, it was clear from the outset that he wasn't a
typical murder suspect. Unlike most suspects who would vehemently deny the allegations, offer a
staunch defense, or demand a lawyer, Scott meekly accepted everything Detective Norman asserted had happened
regarding Yamala's death. His only response was to apologize and repeat that he didn't
remember anything. He offered no explanation as to why, just that he couldn't. Scott did recall the events leading up
to it, though. After a day at work, he returned home and went upstairs to change into a
t-shirt and jeans. Yamala had dinner ready, so the family sat at the dining table
together. According to the FA children, their dinner conversation was normal with nothing seeming out of the ordinary
between their parents. However, 12-year-old Michael noted that his father seemed very stressed about a
work meeting and his mother was concerned because the pool pump wasn't working properly. After dinner, Yamala went into
the living room to watch television. Michael remembered seeing his father seated on the couch beside
her. Sometime between 9 and 9:30 p.m., Michael went to his room to play video games.
Before he went to sleep that evening, he headed back downstairs to kiss both his
parents good night. He didn't notice any tension between them, nor did he hear any strife
before falling asleep. 15-year-old Megan Feder's account was similar, though she added a few extra
details as she had watched television with her parents until going to bed around 9:30
p.m. She remembered them discussing the broken pool pump with her father, saying
he would take care of it. Scott then got up to do some work at the family computer
nearby. Before heading upstairs, Megan kissed her parents and told them she loved
them. Like her brother, she didn't sense any animosity between them and didn't hear anything worrying that
[Music] night. There was no one to verify Scott's version of events once his children had gone to bed. According to
him, after finishing work on the computer, he went into the garage to fetch a pair of pliers, a screwdriver,
and a large flashlight to repair the faulty pool pump. He then headed outside to inspect
the equipment, noticing that a ring on the pump was broken and not sealing properly. Scott decided it would be
easier to fix it in the daylight after buying a replacement. He put his tools back in the garage and
washed his hands before re-entering the house. He found Yamala sitting upright asleep on the
couch. Gently, Scott woke her and explained that he wouldn't be able to fix the pool pump until the following
day. He then kissed her good night and went upstairs to bed. It was between 9:30 and 1000
p.m. He was adamant that this was the last time he saw Yamala. The next thing he remembered was
waking up to the flurry of police activity, at which point his wife was dead. He maintained that he had no
recollection of the events that took place in between. Unconvinced, Detective John Norman
pressed Scott for a motive. With his face buried in his hands, Scott professed, "I just don't know. I loved
Yamala. We've been married all my adult life. She certainly didn't deserve to die. She's a good wife, a great mother.
What will I do?" Detective Norman observed Scott's body language, the way he avoided eye
contact, sighed deeply, leaned exasperated against the wall, and cradled himself curled up in the fetal
position. To Norman, Scott carried himself like a guiltridden man. He wasn't at all convinced by
Scott's claims of amnesia. "You remember more than that," he insisted. Scott took a deep breath and replied,
"No." Scott's clean clothing raised suspicions that he must have showered and changed immediately after stabbing
Yamala to conceal evidence. But as Detective Norman observed, he had missed a spot, a small
smear of blood behind his ear. Pointing to Scott's ear, Detective Norman asked, "How'd you get the blood on
you?" Scott seemingly feigned ignorance, "What blood?" Detective Norman pushed on. "The
blood all over your neck?" Scott reached up, touched his neck, and said, "I didn't know there was
blood on me." Detective Norman didn't believe him, but pressed on to another significant
discovery. A freshly applied band-aid covered a small recent wound above Scott's index
finger. It wasn't unusual for someone wielding a knife during a violent encounter to injure themselves,
especially if, as in Yamala's case, the victim had desperately fought back. Detective Norman asked Scott
directly, "How'd you cut your hand?" Scott hesitated, clearly contemplating his answer. Detective Norman broke the long
silence with the sarcastic jab. "Forget that, too." Finally, Scott muttered, "I don't remember putting that
on." By now, Detective Norman had heard enough. Reflecting on the interrogation for ABC's 2020, he
remarked, "The only thing I believed about his story was that his name was Scott
Faer." The brief interview ended without a confession, but the evidence and witness accounts painted a damning
picture. Investigators believed Scott confronted Yamala shortly before 1000 p.m. Given the lack of blood staining
inside the home, the attack likely began in the backyard. Scott then cleaned himself up,
hid the hunting knife and blooded clothing in his car, and drowned Yamala to ensure she was
dead. By leaving her body in the pool, he intended for their children to find her in the morning, allowing him to
feain ignorance. By then, he would have driven under cover of darkness to dispose of
the evidence somewhere. What he didn't account for was that his neighbor had witnessed part
of the assault and alerted the police. As a result, Scott Fa was charged with the first-degree murder of
Yamala. He faced the possibility of the death penalty if [Music] convicted. Scott maintained his
innocence while awaiting trial, spending his time in jail formulating theories about Yamala's death. He suggested that
he was being framed, that his neighbor Gregory Coons might have been responsible, or that he had unknowingly
made an enemy who sought to ruin him. At the same time, investigators searched for a
motive. Scott and Yamala had been high school sweethearts who married soon after
graduation. They had supported each other through further studies, interstate relocations, and life's
challenges, often being each other's only close friend and confidant. In Scott's words, Yamala was his
emotional lifeline, and her unwavering love and support had earned his lifelong devotion. Humility, kindness, and
selflessness defined Yamala. A trained nurse, she had devoted years to raising her two children before
recently returning to work as a preschool teachers aid. She planned to become a certified
teacher once she completed her qualifications. Outside of work, she enjoyed arts and crafts, particularly
basket making. Friends described her as intelligent, witty, and practical. While her marriage to Scott
had its ups and downs, she never spoke ill of him. In the weeks leading up to her murder, Yamala was in good spirits,
showing no signs of distress or fear. The tragedy occurred just weeks before her 42nd
birthday. Scott's reputation was just as positive. No one had a bad word to say about him. He had no criminal record, no
history of domestic violence, and no issues with substance abuse. Known as a mildmannered nerd, Scott was
seen as an earnest and hard-working family man. He built a successful career as an
electrical engineer at Motorola, a leading electronics manufacturer while also dedicating time to teaching daily
religious instruction for high school students as part of his involvement in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Though Scott excelled in engineering, he had long-term plans to shift careers,
aspiring to follow in Yamala's footsteps by becoming a teacher. The Faders lived a comfortable
upper middle-class life in a quiet, safe neighborhood. Their finances were stable
and their home life was peaceful. According to their children, Megan and Michael, their upbringing was
full of love. The family had no secrets. Everyone was open, close, and supportive. Their parents helped with
homework, encouraged their hobbies, took them on vacations, and even went carolling together at
Christmas. Prior to the events of Thursday, January 16, 1997, Scott and Yamala had been planning a family trip
to Europe. Megan and Michael had never seen their parents argue or in conflict. They
insisted that Scott and Yamala typically saw eye to eye, only ever having minor disagreements that were resolved calmly
and amicably. While Megan had seen her father become angry, she clarified that she had never witnessed him enter a
full-blown rage. Scott and Yamala's relationship was affectionate. They frequently
kissed, held hands, and went on date nights. Friends of the couple echoed this sentiment, describing the Feda's
marriage as harmonious and deeply committed. This made Scott's violent actions all the more baffling.
Weeks into his incarceration, Scott Fer obtained his case file and studied it, including Gregory Coon's account of
Yamala's drowning. Scott knew Gregory well and considered him trustworthy. He couldn't fathom why he
would ever fabricate such a story. At that moment, Scott began to accept that everything being said about
him must have been true. he had killed Yamala. Yet he continued to insist that the reason behind the attack remained a
mystery to him. In a jail house interview with ABC's 2020, Scott reiterated that he had
been hopelessly confused when police arrived at his house that January evening. Nothing felt real and he was
certain he hadn't been 100% coherent as he was taken into custody. Even in the interrogation room, he
struggled to believe Yamala was truly dead. He maintained that he loved his wife and was still trying to make sense
of what happened, stating, "I accept the fact that the neighbor saw me do the physical act. Would I have consciously
and intentionally killed Yamala? Absolutely not." Despite his growing acceptance of the
facts, Scott remained adamant that he had no memory of the murder. He began to question whether
something was wrong with his brain. Perhaps an undiagnosed tumor was affecting his behavior or he had an
undetected mental illness. The uncertainty prompted Scott's attorney to pursue an insanity
defense. Scott's loved ones were outraged by this decision, convinced that he was a sane
man. Their belief was reinforced by a stateappointed psychologist who found Scott to be an unusual case entirely
devoid of pathology. He exhibited no signs of mental illness that might have explained
an intentional act of murder. Instead, the psychologist noted Scott's admirable qualities, describing him as a
non-aggressive thinker who preferred resolving conflicts through discussion rather than
violence. They concluded that Scott deeply loved Yamala and felt genuine remorse for what had happened.
Megan and Michael Fa stood by their father, unable to accept that he could have intentionally harmed their
mother. Scott's mother and siblings felt the same. They spent countless hours dissecting his past, hoping to uncover
an explanation for such a shocking, outof character act. Scott's childhood was marked by
trauma as he'd grown up with an abusive father who struggled with alcoholism. As the oldest child, Scott took on the
role of protector, shielding his mother and siblings from his father's violent outbursts. The turmoil at home led to
him withdrawing from his peers. During his adolescence, he also experienced occasional bedwedding
episodes, which amplified his feelings of shame and embarrassment. Despite this, Scott became, in the eyes
of his mother, Lois, every mother's dream of the perfect child. He was incredibly helpful with
his four younger siblings, highly intelligent, had a great sense of humor, and never displayed a
temper. To Scott's family, nothing in his background indicated he would grow up to be a cold-blooded killer.
Then one day while discussing the case with their mother, Scott's sister Laura had a sudden
realization. A med school graduate and a writer for a medical website, she recalled a murder case from her studies
that bore eerie similarities to what happened to [Music] Yamala. Early on the morning of Sunday,
May 24, 1987, 23-year-old electronics worker Kenneth Parks walked into a police station. Appearing confused and
asking for help, he announced, "I think I have killed some people." Kenneth lived in Pickering,
Canada with his wife and 5-month-old daughter. He had been going through a difficult time lately.
A gambling addiction had led to severe financial debt and in desperation he stole from his family
savings. He had also been fired after he was caught embezzling money from his workplace. That May, Kenneth had been
trying to overcome his addiction by attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings. He had come clean to his wife about his
struggles and also planned to tell his in-laws Dennis and Barbara Woods on Sunday, May
24. But that conversation never happened. Instead, sometime after 1:30 that morning, Kenneth drove 14 mi to his
in-laws home in Toronto. Using a key they had previously given him, he entered the house and went
into their bedroom while they slept. Armed with a tire iron, he brutally bludgeoned Barbara before stabbing her
multiple times. He then attacked Dennis, choking him until he lost consciousness before
stabbing him as well. After the attack, still covered in blood, Kenneth got into his car and
drove to a nearby police station where he immediately confessed. Dennis Woods survived the ordeal, but
42-year-old Barbara Woods succumbed to her injuries. Kenneth told police that before the attack, he had been watching
television on his sofa at home. At around 1:30 a.m., he fell asleep. The next thing he remembered was
standing inside his in-laws house, covered in blood, with a knife in his hands. Their beaten and bloodied bodies
lay in front of him. Kenneth claimed to have no memory of the drive to their house or of
carrying out the violence. He insisted he had no reason to harm Dennis or Barbara and expressed
a deep remorse for what had happened. Over the course of seven police interviews, his story remained
consistent. He never admitted to acting intentionally. Nevertheless, he was ultimately charged
with Barbara's murder and the attempted murder of Dennis. At trial, Kenneth's legal team
presented an extraordinary theory that their client suffered from some nambulism, more commonly known as
sleepwalking. They asserted that he had been in this state at the time of the attack with no will or conscious mind
directing him. The defense cited 35 documented cases worldwide in which homicides were
allegedly committed while the perpetrator was sleepwalking. One case from 1859 involved a London woman who threw her
infant son out of a window while screaming, "Save my children." She later claimed she had
been dreaming that her house was on fire and believed she was rescuing him. She was found not responsible for her
actions. Another case in 1878 involved a Scottish man who dreamed of a wild beast
breaking through the floorboards of his home. In his dream, he was protecting his family by smashing the beast's head
against the ground. In reality, he killed his 18-month-old son. He escaped conviction but was ordered to
sleep alone in a locked room for the rest of his life. The first successful use of the
sleepwalking defense in the US occurred in 1846 when a Boston man was found not guilty of murder after slitting a sex
worker's throat. Since then, there had been more cases of apparent sleepwalking murders or near
misses, including a wife stabbing her husband, a young girl killing her father and a brother, and a boy gravely
injuring his cousin, none of which resulted in conviction. However, the controversial
defense didn't guarantee freedom. A Pennsylvania man used the sleepwalking defense after fatally shooting his wife
in the back. While it was found that he had a history of disruptive sleep, the fact
that he knew his wife was about to leave him provided a clear motive, one that ultimately led to a guilty verdict.
Kenneth Park's defense presented psychiatric and scientific evidence supporting their argument that he was
sleepwalking when he attacked his in-laws. This included abnormal readings of his brain activity during sleep, as
well as five expert witnesses who backed the defense's theory. In contrast, the prosecution posited
that Kenneth knew what he was doing to the woods, but blocked out the very terrible events, which resulted in an
amnesia effect. They suggested that his gambling and financial struggles provided a
likely motive for the attack. After 9 hours of deliberation, the jury sided with the defense, accepting that
Kenneth was not conscious at the time of the assault. He was acquitted of all charges
and returned to a normal life. [Music] Kenneth Park's case peaked the interest of Scott Fer's loved ones a decade later
in 1997 as they sought to understand why he had suddenly stabbed and drowned his
beloved wife Yamala. During discussions about Scott's past, multiple people mentioned that he
had been a restless sleeper throughout his life and was prone to getting up in the middle of the night.
Scott's mother, Lois, recalled several sleepwalking incidents from his childhood. He once tapped a sleeping
Lois on the shoulder, fully dressed and ready to go to school in the middle of the
night. On another occasion, Scott put on a coat and picked up a Christmas present. When his father attempted to
take the present from him, Scott resisted and retrieved another. He then returned to his room, took off his coat,
placed the present under his bed, and crawled back under the blankets. When Scott was 15, he wandered
into the living room completely naked while in a sleep state. During each of his sleepwalking
episodes, his eyes remained open, his facial expression was flat, and he was unresponsive to those around him.
By morning, he had no recollection of what had happened. To Lois, Scott's history of
bedwedding made more sense in this context, as it was linked to sleepwalking. Furthermore, sleepwalking
is considered a highly heritable disorder, and several of Scott's family members, including his own daughter,
reported experiencing episodes themselves. Scott's most troubling episode was one
that his sister Laura recalled. One night when Scott was around 20 years old, Laura was watching
television in the living room. Scott had gone to bed about an hour earlier, needing rest before his college finals
the next day. Suddenly, Laura noticed him walking into the kitchen. She asked why he was up, but he didn't
respond. Instead, he began fiddling with items around the sink before moving toward a door that led
outside. Concerned, Laura rushed to the door and locked it. In that instant, an angry expression
she had never seen before flashed across Scott's face. It was almost demonic. Without warning, he grabbed Laura by the
shoulders, lifted her off the ground, and threw her across the kitchen. Stunned, Laura watched as Scott
struggled with the locked door for nearly 20 minutes until he gave up and wandered back to his
bedroom. The next morning, when Laura tried to talk to Scott about the incident, he brushed her off, too
focused on his upcoming tests. Laura didn't mention it to anyone else at the time. With this in mind, Scott's mother
and sister researched violent somnambulism extensively, eventually becoming convinced it was the only
explanation for Yamala's murder. They discovered that sleepwalking, which is typically more common in males, was
often triggered by stress and sleep deprivation, both of which had played significant roles during key periods of
Scott's life when his episodes occurred. In the leadup to Yamala's murder, Scott was under immense pressure
at work, which involved leading a team of engineers who were developing a new product. His colleagues noticed how
exhausted he seemed, his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, his energy levels depleted, and he often appeared
dazed. He sometimes dozed off during meetings and had to rely on caffeine pills to
function. Some observed that he had lost his usual spark, appearing withdrawn and
possibly even depressed. Yet, one thing remained certain. Whenever Scott spoke about his
wife and family, there was an undeniable joy in his voice, making it clear he couldn't wait to get home to
[Music] them. On Thursday, January 16, 1997, Scott Fel's boss had proposed a friendly
competition between internal work departments. Scott openly expressed his dismay about
this during a team meeting, admitting he was already under immense pressure and didn't need the added
stress. This was the first time his colleagues had seen him come close to losing his
temper. Despite his frustration, he ultimately conceded even though the competition required more time and
commitment than he could afford and brought him enjoyment. When Scott returned home from
work that day, his stress levels were at an all-time high. On top of the competition he was
now obligated to participate in, he had come to the troubling conclusion that the product he had been developing was
unlikely to succeed and might need to be scrapped entirely. This realization weighed
heavily on him, particularly because of its impact on the livelihoods of his team.
He planned to break the news to them the next day, but there was little time to dwell
on it. Scott was already stretched thin with other commitments, including preparing for a church seminary class he
was scheduled to teach in the morning and organizing a food drive. Yamala was also facing her own
struggles, which in turn affected Scott. She was grieving the recent loss of her
beloved father to cancer, a pain she'd tried to deal with alone to spare her family. Although she loved her job at
the preschool, the daily challenge of managing and teaching a group of energetic three and fouryear-olds left
her drained. On top of everything else, the pool pump at home had malfunctioned.
While a minor inconvenience on its own, it was yet another issue in the Faders's
lives that needed attention sooner rather than later. Given all this pressure, Scott's
loved ones believed he was a ticking time bomb, primed for a sleepwalking episode.
To make matters worse, in the nights leading up to Yamala's murder, both she and Scott had been jolted awake by what
sounded like footsteps crunching across the gravel alongside their home. Fearing an intruder, Scott got up
to investigate, only to find nothing. He convinced himself the sounds were just their dogs moving about
outside. However, he had also noticed his family's tendency to leave the back door
unlocked, a habit that heightened his anxiety. If someone truly had been lurking outside, they could easily enter
the home through the unlocked door and threaten his family. Under these circumstances,
Scott's loved ones found it plausible that his stresses had triggered a sleepwalking episode. His subconscious
mind might have been in a distressed and defensive state, expecting to encounter
a threat in or outside his home and instinctively acting to protect his wife and
children. In his altered state, he might have dreamt that an intruder was breaking into his home and mistaken
Yamala for the threat. Acting on this false perception, he launched a violent attack, completely
unaware that he was actually harming the woman he [Music] loved. There was also the possibility
that the dream Scott experienced was not dramatic or frightening at all. He might
have simply dreamt that he needed to fix the pool pump. And in his sleepwalking state, he retrieved the hunting knife,
either mistaking it for a tool or intending to use it to complete the task. Yamala might have then noticed
Scott inexplicably moving about the backyard in the middle of the night and approached
him. Generally, sleepwalking is considered relatively harmless, and waking someone in that condition isn't
typically dangerous. However, experts caution against it as disorientation or confusion can
sometimes trigger violent reactions even if such instances are considered rare. Dr. Guy Leer, a sleep disorder
specialist, explains the phenomenon of local sleep to help understand why such acts occur.
He notes, "Most of us think being awake means our brains are fully awake, but actually little areas of our brains are
constantly dipping in and out of sleep. Feeling awake and looking awake doesn't always mean that our brains are
active. There is very clear evidence that when people are sleepwalking, it's the parts
of the brain responsible for emotion, movement, and vision that show this waking pattern. Whereas the parts of the
brain responsible for rational thinking and memory demonstrate sleeping behavior. If you think about which parts
of those brains are disconnected, it's the bits that are responsible for being a sensible human being.
This suggests that during sleepwalking the brain is in a state where rational thought and memory are inactive while
the more instinctual and reactive parts remain active. As a result, a person may
perform actions without conscious awareness or control, sometimes leading to unintended
consequences. Before presenting their unconventional theory to Scott, his mother Lois and sister Laura first
shared it with his attorney, worried it might be too outlandish to be taken seriously in
court. However, Scott's attorney embraced the idea and decided to abandon the insanity defense in favor of
pursuing the sleepwalking theory at trial. This shift in strategy quickly drew public attention.
What had initially been considered a relatively unremarkable case now garnered widespread media focus as the
unusual and controversial defense strategy took center stage. Reactions were mixed. Some dismissed the idea of
committing a crime while asleep as laughable, while others compared it to a bizarre movie plot.
Scott Fa was initially skeptical of the sleepwalking theory himself. He had no recollection of the incidents from his
past, including the one in which he allegedly threw his sister Laura across the kitchen. As a logical and methodical
person, Scott felt the sleepwalking defense lacked any basis in reality, telling ABC's
2020, "I just felt it was a bunch of [ __ ] For him to consider it even remotely
possible, he needed scientific proof. So in preparation for his trial, Scott agreed to undergo a sleep
study. For four nights, he was connected to electrodes and monitors that measured
the depth and quality of his sleep. While the results came back as inconclusive, they did indicate that
Scott fit the profile of a sleepwalker. Scott's attorney also sought the expertise of several prominent sleep
disorder specialists, including leading figures in the study of sleepwalking violence. One of the key experts was
neurohysiologist Roger Broton, who had previously testified in the trial of Kenneth Parks over a decade earlier.
In Broton's professional opinion, Scott, like Kenneth, had been in a sleepwalking
state when he committed murder. As such, he was not legally responsible for his actions. This conclusion was supported
by other experts the defense consulted. Following this, Scott began to believe that sleep deprivation and
work-related stress had indeed triggered a sleepwalking episode, which ultimately
led to him killing his wife. The prosecution, on the other hand, remained adamant that Scott had
consciously and intentionally killed Yamala. His trial began in May 1999, nearly 2 and 1/2 years after Yamala's
murder. While the defense presented all of their expert findings to support the sleepwalking theory, the prosecution
contended that the crime scene evidence clearly demonstrated that Yamala's death
was far from accidental. According to the prosecution, the trajectory of Yamala's wounds suggested
she had been attacked from behind by someone who reached around to stab her in the
chest. This contradicted the defense's suggestion that Yamala had approached and startled a sleeping Scott, provoking
a spontaneous attack. The prosecution also referred to Scott's claims that he had stirred in the nights
before the attack, believing he'd heard an intruder lurking outside his home. How, they questioned, could Scott
be roused so easily then, but failed to awaken as his dying wife screamed for her
life. The prosecution also cast a doubt on Scott's alleged history of sleepwalking. His sister Laura testified
about the time Scott had supposedly thrown her across the kitchen while asleep. However, prosecutors highlighted
that Laura never mentioned this incident to anyone until after Yamala's murder when she was the first to propose the
sleepwalking theory. The prosecution emphasized how after killing Yamala, Scott had removed his
bloody clothes, hidden them along with the knife in his car, cleaned himself up, tended to his own wounds, and
redressed. He then put on gloves before dragging Yamala to the pool and drowning
her. In total, they calculated that Scott had carried out 64 distinct actions from the
beginning of the attack to its conclusion, a process they estimated had taken at least 45
minutes. The FA's neighbor and key prosecution witness, Gregory Coons, provided a detailed account of many of
Scott's behaviors, including him motioning for his dog to lie down. An action seen as too deliberate for
someone supposedly unaware of their surroundings. Observers were left wondering, "How could Scott recognize
his dog, but not his beloved wife?" A sleep expert called by the prosecution said that Scott's actions
were far too complex and methodical to have been done while asleep. While the expert acknowledged that
sleepwalkers can interact with and misplace objects, he had never encountered a case where a sleepwalker
intentionally hid something. Furthermore, the neat way Scott concealed the evidence in his car
contradicted with the disorganized behavior typical of sleep walkers. But to the prosecution, what happened
next was the strongest proof that Scott was fully awake when he killed Yamala. Supported by their experts, the
prosecution argued that sleepwalking violence only occurs when someone physically confronts the sleepwalker,
obstructing their movements, and inadvertently triggering a defensive response. However, Yamala's drowning did
not fit this pattern. By that point, she was lying on the ground, gravely wounded and unable to
pose any physical [Music] obstruction. According to the prosecution, this deliberate act of
drowning demonstrated conscious intent rather than unconscious reflexive behavior.
To the defense, Scott's many illogical actions that night were in and of themselves evidence of his lack of
conscious control. First, he attacked a woman he loved while their children were home,
making no attempt to hide her body and leaving it in plain sight. After changing clothes, he moved
Yamla's body without any apparent concern about transferring her blood onto his new outfit. He also left the
pool light on, unconcerned that it illuminated Yamala's body. Experts appearing on behalf of the
defense chastised the prosecution for trying to invent a rational scenario out of something that was completely
irrational. The defense also dismissed the prolonged timing of Scott's actions, pointing to
the case of Kenneth Parks, whose sleepwalking episode, which led to his acquitt for the murder and attempted
murder of his in-laws, had lasted well over an hour. Gregory Coon's witness account
raised a significant question for the defense, one that Gregory himself couldn't explain.
Why didn't he yell out to Scott to stop what he was doing to Yamala? In the defense's view, this
action could have awakened Scott from his sleepwalking state and possibly prevented further
harm. Scott's behavior after police arrived was used to support the defense's narrative.
Several individuals who confronted him that night described him as appearing dazed, detached, and as if he had just
woken up. When asked how many people were in the house, Scott replied, "Four," and
listed everyone, including his wife. To the defense, this suggested that Scott was unaware that Yamala was
lying dead outside. Homicide detective John Norman, who interviewed Scott immediately after the
murder, saw his behavior in a different light. He pointed out that Scott didn't seem very upset by the news of Yamala's
death and did not cry. Esteemed neuroysiologist Roger Broton appeared on behalf of the defense
to present his opinion that Scott had been sleepwalking the night he attacked Yamama.
However, the courtroom was stunned during cross-examination when the prosecution presented crucial facts
Broton had not previously known, including how Scott had interacted with his dog. Broton said that these new details
gave him pause regarding his initial conclusions. Broton also admitted that he'd never
encountered a sleepwalking case where someone had changed their clothes once, let alone two or even three
times. Yet, he remained adamant that sleepwalking was the best explanation of the facts.
Although the prosecution posited several possible motives for Scott to kill Yamala, such as allegations of
infidelity, none of these claims were substantiated by evidence. Attempts to argue Scott was a
bad husband were counted by numerous character witnesses for the defense who unanimously spoke highly of him.
According to a close friend, Yamala had once mentioned that Scott rummaged for clothes in the middle of the night while
seemingly asleep. However, the witness admitted that she couldn't recall if Yamala had specifically mentioned the
word sleepwalking. Scott took the stand in an attempt to convince the jury of his
state of mind at the time of the murder. His testimony began with a question from his attorney.
If I had been a fortune teller and I had come to you on the morning of January 16, 1997 and told you, "Scott, tonight
you're going to stab your wife 44 times. What would you have said to me in response?" Scott
replied, "You're out of your mind. There is just no way I would have done anything like this to my wife. I would
never have envisioned something like this happening to someone like me or especially to me
personally. I don't know what I would do without her. As Scott's testimony progressed and
he spoke about life without Yamala, he broke down in tears. He described living two lives. One in
reality where he was confined to his jail cell and the other in his dreams where he imagined an idyllic life with
his wife as if nothing had ever happened. Whenever the prosecution posed a question that Scott couldn't answer,
he deferred to the sleep experts testifying on his behalf. However, he did claim that Yamala was
aware of his sleepwalking and once told him about an instance where he had grabbed her arm while
asleep. The prosecution attorney sharply responded, "And she can't come in and testify, can
[Music] she?" Maintaining that he still had no memory of killing Yamala. Scott tearfully told the
court, "It took me a very long time before I could really even admit it openly to myself that I had actually
done that." When asked point blank if he knowingly killed his wife, Scott sobbed
and replied, "No, not at all. I couldn't knowingly kill her. No one deserved it less than anyone
I know than her. The high-profile trial, described by observers as a battle of experts, lasted
more than a month. It was complex, with experts who held similar experience and qualifications arriving at starkly
different conclusions. In total, 52 witnesses were called and 180 court exhibits were
entered into evidence. In closing arguments, the defense reiterated that Scott was a
nonviolent person who'd had a wonderful marriage. They emphasized that there was
simply no motive for Scott to willfully kill Yamala. The prosecution focused on the drowning
aspect of the crime, stating, "One of the things that you cannot get away from and Scott Fa cannot
get away from is the fact that when Yamala was down, he did a violent act. Never in the annals of sleepwalking
has there ever been a case where two different types of lethal violence have been applied in one case.
While the prosecution acknowledged that no one but Scott truly knew what happened that night, they confidently
declared, "This guy here killed his wife and he's guilty of firstdegree murder." It took the jury just 8 hours
to reach a verdict. Ultimately, they found the prosecution's experts more compelling
than those of the defense. for the first degree murder of Yamala Feta. Scott Fa was found
guilty. In a posted trial interview, jurors revealed that they were open to the possibility that Scott had initially
attacked Yamala while sleepwalking. However, they believed that he regained consciousness and
panicked afterward. Despite the inconclusive evidence, the jury was certain that Yamala was still
alive when Scott pushed her into the pool. They agreed that he had premeditated the decision to drown her
and was fully cognizant while carrying out the act. A significant portion of the jury's
deliberations centered on Scott's use of a hunting knife, with one juror stating
that such an item was not used for any other purpose except for killing. While the prosecution pushed
for the death penalty, the sentencing hearing, which took place a year after the guilty verdict, saw multiple
character witnesses testify positively on Scott's behalf. Among them were his two children who pleaded for his
life. Even Yamala's mother supported Scott's case. She acknowledged that although he
should face severe punishment, his children shouldn't be left with neither their mother nor
father. During sentencing, the judge remarked, "Yamla was a woman we all would have liked to know. She was
independent, feisty, totally devoted to her children, and someone who did not accept everything at face value because
she had a mind of her own. But because of the defendant's cruel attack on her, she did not get to
see her daughter graduate as a validictorian of her class. Did not get to see her son grow into the fine young
man and good athlete that he is. did not get to share in the joy of her daughter
attending one of the finest universities in the country and did not get to pursue
her own return to teaching. She also won't have the opportunity to enjoy any grandchildren
she might have [Music] had. In deciding Scott's punishment, the judge considered the testimony from
Scott's children, friends, co-workers, and church members, all of whom described him as living an exemplary
life and being a kind, gentle, peaceful, and loving man who gave freely of his time in service to others.
The judge also acknowledged that Scott had no criminal history, showed extreme remorse, and had been a model inmate
with a positive influence on others. However, he also recognized that the murder was especially cruel and
heinous. As a result, Scott Fa was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of
[Music] parole. At the time of this episode's release, Scott remains in prison where
he practices meditation and ensures he gets adequate sleep. Over the years, he has received
letters of support from other sleepwalkers whom he encourages to seek treatment to prevent a similar incident
from occurring. He remains to be a model inmate known for assisting, teaching, and providing
spiritual guidance to other inmates and helping prison staff with technology problems. Scott stays in touch with his
two children with his son, Michael, stating, "He is still my dad, and I hope to always have a relationship with him,
whether he's in prison or he's out." However, Scott himself doubts he will ever be
released. Multiple attempts to appeal his sentence have failed. To this day, he maintains that
he has no memory of killing Yamala. All I can say is I do not know what happened, he told ABC's 2020,
adding, "There's no one else I can place the responsibility on. It's on my shoulders. I accept that and I have to
move on. The death of Yamala Fa continues to prompt questions and debate to this day.
Was it a tragic accident or a deliberate murder? The case's central questions have never been solved to everybody's
satisfaction. Even those who accept Scott's version of events still believe he committed a terrible crime and must
pay a price for it. As Scott's mother, Lois, stated, he's technically guilty, but he's morally
innocent. He was there and he wasn't there. Scott's story elicits its fair share of critics and
skeptics. While sleepwalking is a widely accepted phenomenon, some have expressed
concern that if Scott were acquitted, sleepwalking might become an excuse for any crime.
Others view the use of a sleepwalking defense as nothing more than junk science, suggesting that attorneys just
pay experts to offer whatever testimony is necessary to protect their client's interests. Since 1997, there have been a
number of other criminal cases around the world that have employed the sleepwalking defense to varying success.
Scott Fa maintains that in his case the jury got it wrong. He insists that he is not a
monster and believes his verdict was influenced by the complexity of sleep disorders, a still evolving field that
is not yet fully understood. Scott has expressed a doubt that he will ever forgive himself for
killing Yamla. He believes they were meant for each other and has stated that he will miss
her until the day he dies. He often reflects on the pain and terror Yamala must have felt when he
attacked her and is grateful that he does not have any memories of what he did to her that
night. I kind of wish she had grabbed the knife and done me instead, he said. But because it was me, she didn't.
Scott feels that Yamala would have been more understanding and forgiving of him than he had been towards himself and
expresses hope that they will be reunited in heaven, saying, "She knows more than I do about
what happened that night, and she will actually know how I've conducted myself since then. I want to be sure that I'm
still worthy of her by how I carry myself now. [Music] [Music]

On a January night in 1997, Yarmila Falater was brutally stabbed and drowned in the family’s backyard pool. Her husband, Scott Falater, was caught red-handed, but claimed he had no memory of the crime. What followed was a high-profile trial that pitted science against suspicion, as experts debated whether Yarmila’s death was a tragic accident or deliberate murder.

CREDITS Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Audio editing – Anthony Telfer

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-314-yarmila-falater

Brief Summary

Scott Fa murdered his wife Yamala in 1997, claiming sleepwalking as a defense during his trial for first-degree murder.

Key points

The Night of Horror. On January 16, 1997, Gregory Coons witnesses a shocking crime next door.
A Child's Tragic Awakening. Michael Fa recalls the moment he learned his mother was dead.
Scott Fa's Confusion. During interrogation, Scott Fa expresses disbelief and sorrow over his wife's death.
Scott's Confession. Scott acknowledges the neighbor's account but insists he didn't intend to kill Yamala.
The Insanity Defense. Scott's attorney pursued an insanity defense, raising questions about his mental state.
Sleepwalking Theory. Scott's family explores the possibility of sleepwalking as an explanation for the murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Oh my god, he put her head under water.

Gregory Coons witnesses the horrifying act and reacts in shock.

8:27WatchApr 12, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.